Thinking about buying/showing..

[Melody]

** I'm new to miniatures not horses! **

I'm thinking about starting to show (halter & possibly driving) minis, but before jumping into things I have a few questions.

What are the "top" halter and driving bloodlines?

How would you set up for halter class; square or parked out?

Any special requirements (feeding, farrier, etc.)?

Oh, and what is the "ideal" mini conformation (height?)?

And anything else I'm forgetting about you can add in too. Lol.

 

[targetsmom]

Welcome to the forum and to the world of miniatures! If you are not new to horses then most of what you learned will still apply. Just avoid Bute for minis whenever possible and don't use Quest wormer. Feeding (grain) seems to be a bit trickier than big horses. Our website has some general information and also under the 4-H section there is info that we constantly update.

Bloodlines are somewhat a personal preference and change over time. But some of the ones that are still popular (IMO) for halter are Rowdy, Gold Melody Boy/Buckeroo, and Blue Boy. Rhoten's Little Dandy is popular for driving but there are plenty of others. Certainly Billy Idol is popular for halter right now. You need to do your research and decide what YOU like.

Check the breed association rule book on-line for whatever registry you are interested in. Some allow more stretching than others but judges will tell you if you really need to "square up" your horse.

Ideal mini conformation to me is whatever I like in a big horse, just scaled down. Straight (long) legs, balanced conformation (3 equal parts), sloping shoulder, long hip, with a neck that ties in high on the chest, and a pretty head. Yes, I like an "archy" neck but if the rest is there, and the neck has good length, the neck will arch just fine. And necks can be sweated - legs can't be straighened as easily.

I would suggest you find out what shows are available near you, join a club, attend some shows, and figure out what registry and size appeals to you. Good luck!

 

[HGFarm]

Good advice from targetsmom.... go to a few shows... watch the horses and go talk to the people. I dont know if there is any 'set' bloodline that you can go with- there are a lot of good performance and halter horses out there without a bloodline that is that well known. However, some are fairly consistant producers of a certain type perhaps.

Do you want to show A or R or both? If you want to show AMHA, then you will need to stay under 34". AMHR has two divisions and goes up to 38". I try to keep all mine double registered and that way I get to enjoy both shows.

I agree that basicly the same principles apply to Minis that do to their bigger cousins, including farrier work and correct balanced angles that their feet should be trimmed. Same thing with a good feed program, etc....

 

[Riverdance]

I agree, go to shows first and see what you like. A horse needs to be balanced, with a 45 degree shoulder (without this they can not get their heads up), long slim neck with a pole. (Most Minis do not have a pole, but some are starting to get them. The pole is what allows the horse to have the archy neck). Lots of leg under them, big hip with a high tail set and the icing on the cake is a beautiful head with a dish below the eyes. big eyes and hooky forward facing ears are nice too. Good angulation and straight legs are a given.

All of this can be hard to see, especially in pintos where there can be optical illusions. Many are never able to see this in a horse, and it can take years to really see it all. Studding horses and going to shows will help a lot. Try not to be color blind, a good horse can come in any color.

Good luck and have some fun.

 

[Cricket8]

No such thing as a bad color on a good horse is what I say.

 

[Melody]

Welcome to the forum and to the world of miniatures! If you are not new to horses then most of what you learned will still apply. Just avoid Bute for minis whenever possible and don't use Quest wormer. Feeding (grain) seems to be a bit trickier than big horses. Our website has some general information and also under the 4-H section there is info that we constantly update.

Bloodlines are somewhat a personal preference and change over time. But some of the ones that are still popular (IMO) for halter are Rowdy, Gold Melody Boy/Buckeroo, and Blue Boy. Rhoten's Little Dandy is popular for driving but there are plenty of others. Certainly Billy Idol is popular for halter right now. You need to do your research and decide what YOU like.

Check the breed association rule book on-line for whatever registry you are interested in. Some allow more stretching than others but judges will tell you if you really need to "square up" your horse.

Ideal mini conformation to me is whatever I like in a big horse, just scaled down. Straight (long) legs, balanced conformation (3 equal parts), sloping shoulder, long hip, with a neck that ties in high on the chest, and a pretty head. Yes, I like an "archy" neck but if the rest is there, and the neck has good length, the neck will arch just fine. And necks can be sweated - legs can't be straighened as easily.

I would suggest you find out what shows are available near you, join a club, attend some shows, and figure out what registry and size appeals to you. Good luck!

Thanks! I'm excited to get one.

Why can't minis have Bute? I've heard that before, but I never got an answer why not. OK, thanks! I'll have to check that out in the morning.

Yeah, I've been looking at some but wanted some more names. There are a lot of Buckeroo grand-babies (mostly 3rd/4th generation) around here, but they aren't very balanced conformation wise. I think its mostly the low quality horses they are mixing with decent ones.

What is the difference between AMHA and AMHR? OK, thanks again. I'm thinking I'm going to have to do a lot more research before I start.. especially since I don't know the diifference between AMHA and AMHR. Lol.

Good advice from targetsmom.... go to a few shows... watch the horses and go talk to the people. I dont know if there is any 'set' bloodline that you can go with- there are a lot of good performance and halter horses out there without a bloodline that is that well known. However, some are fairly consistant producers of a certain type perhaps.

Do you want to show A or R or both? If you want to show AMHA, then you will need to stay under 34". AMHR has two divisions and goes up to 38". I try to keep all mine double registered and that way I get to enjoy both shows.

I agree that basicly the same principles apply to Minis that do to their bigger cousins, including farrier work and correct balanced angles that their feet should be trimmed. Same thing with a good feed program, etc....

Thats a good idea! I like 38", just because most of them are leggier.

Oh, because my friend uses a different farrier for her horse and minis I figured there might be something special about the way they need to be done.

I agree, go to shows first and see what you like. A horse needs to be balanced, with a 45 degree shoulder (without this they can not get their heads up), long slim neck with a pole. (Most Minis do not have a pole, but some are starting to get them. The pole is what allows the horse to have the archy neck). Lots of leg under them, big hip with a high tail set and the icing on the cake is a beautiful head with a dish below the eyes. big eyes and hooky forward facing ears are nice too. Good angulation and straight legs are a given.

All of this can be hard to see, especially in pintos where there can be optical illusions. Many are never able to see this in a horse, and it can take years to really see it all. Studding horses and going to shows will help a lot. Try not to be color blind, a good horse can come in any color.

Good luck and have some fun.

That is really interesting! I never noticed that, but that explains why some ponies look odd to me. Lol.

Color isn't really important to me, and I usually have the "boring" colored horses like bays and chestnuts. Hopefully I'll have some more color with the minis.

Thanks again everyone! I think I'll be busy looking at old posts tomorrow. Lol.

 

[JAX]

Large horse farriers can do a perfectly fine job on the minis...IF they will hold thier legs at the proper level for a mini. My large horse farrier was always griping at how horrible the minis acted. I knew that the minis were fine getting their feet done before but with him they were getting worse and worse. He was holding their feet up too high causing pain and so causing bad attitudes. I switched to a "mini" farrier and they are fine with her. My new large horse farrier will do a mini or two for me every now and then and he does a good job keeping their feet low but he says it bothers his back, he is not used to having to stay so low. Good Luck with your new venture!

 

[ohmt]

You should go to the registry website and decide see which ones have more shows near you that you'll be able to show at, and I would check out their on line magazines and look at past pictures of horses from Nationals and Worlds to see what kind of "types" are winning at each. Both have evolved, but AMHR has really changed these past few years and if you are looking for a competitive "B" size horse (34"-38") then you're going to want to go for something a bit different than what you'd look for in an AMHA show horse. There are many more AMHR shows up here and I prefer tall and leggy so AMHR is my go to registry and what I show in. I show primarily "A" division though (34" and under). Rock "E" bloodlines (be careful for weak back ends with these), Ericas Tiny Trotters, Rhapsody Shetlands/Miniatures, Michigans, McCarthys, and many more. One of my favorite up and coming greats is McCarthys Jesse James of Rivenburgh. He has some young get in the show ring that are just phenomenal, whether you are showing AMHA or AMHR and in either division. Oak Bay Salsamio and McCarthys Silent Partner are two more stallions that are producing some very excellent foals for today's show standards. Really, it's all up to you though and what you prefer. Each person has their own preferences and you won't know exactly what you like until you get out there and take a look and ask lots of questions

Look around and go to as many shows as you can and have lots of fun!

 

[valshingle]

Don't forget Buckeye WCF, AMHR breeder of the year!!

I suggest you look at horses at a show to get a feel for what you like. ASPC/AMHR horses are hot right now and a good ASPC/AMHR/AMHA is really sought after.

 

[ohmt]

Don't forget Buckeye WCF, AMHR breeder of the year!!

You are right, definitely don't forget them!

 

[targetsmom]

Oops, how could I have forgotten Buckeye WCF as our last purchase was from them? In addition to going to shows, if you have any major breeders near you, a visit to their farm would be a good place to start. Where are you located? You can check out the Breeders Connect (link at top of this page) and find breeders near you.

One other thing that is different about minis is that a 2" difference in height makes a HUGE difference. I suggest you find out what height range you like first. We like them 32-34" and maybe up to 35" for driving. Of course the taller ones will look (and move) more like big horses but that is also part of the challenge - to breed even smaller ones that do that.

 

[chandab]

Thanks! I'm excited to get one.

Why can't minis have Bute? I've heard that before, but I never got an answer why not. OK, thanks! I'll have to check that out in the morning.

Minis seem to be more sensitive to bute than full-size horses, but its likely a problem with overdosing. You must know the weight of the mini and dose it accurately. I've had more than one vet look at a mini and say oh he's 500# and prescribe bute for that weight. I have B-size minis (34-38" tall), they weigh on average 325-375#, when they aren't overweight. My tiniest stallion weighs 175#, and a couple in between weigh 250-275#. so, as you can see just assuming 500# on a mini can be way overdosing. Know your mini and his weight. [i happen to have an old livestock scale, so I can weigh my guys (weight tapes are'nt very accurate for minis).] Some vet clinics will have a scale that can handle a mini, really small minis can be weighed on the dog scale. I have used bute on a couple minis under certain circumstances; one being a mini with laminitis, banamine wouldn't touch her pain; I only used it long enough to control her pain and put her on ulcer meds while using it. [bute is know to cause ulcers, especially if overdosed.]

Oh, because my friend uses a different farrier for her horse and minis I figured there might be something special about the way they need to be done.

Many farriers don't want to do minis, as they don't want to get down to their level to do the work. And, as already mentioned try to pull the mini's leg up to their level, which causes pain and usually makes the minis act up. I'm always asking my farrier if he's ready to stand on his head and get to work, cause that's practically what they need to do to get down to the minis level. there are some companies out there making grooming/farrier stands for minis, that raise the mini up to your level to work. Don't know how well they might work.